Offender Who Walked Away from Los Angeles Reentry Program Apprehended

December 20, 2017

LOS ANGELES — A man who walked away from the Male Community Reentry Program (MCRP) in Los Angeles County on Thursday, Dec. 14, was apprehended Dec. 19.

Richard Rodriguez, 42, was apprehended at approximately 7:45 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 19, at the Crown Motel in Los Angeles by agents from the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) Office of Correctional Safety’s Special Service Unit.

He was taken into custody without incident and transported to California Institution for Men in Chino.

Rodriguez had been participating since Nov. 30, 2017, in the MCRP, which allows eligible offenders committed to state prison to serve the end of their sentences in the reentry center and provides them the programs and tools necessary to transition from custody to the community. It is a voluntary program for male offenders who have approximately one year left to serve. The program links offenders to a range of community-based rehabilitative services that assist with substance use disorders, mental health care, medical care, employment, education, housing, family reunification and social support.

Rodriguez was admitted from Los Angeles County on August 18, 2017, to serve a three-year sentence for evading a Peace Officer while driving recklessly. He was scheduled to be released to probation in July 2018. His case will now be forwarded to the District Attorney’s Office for consideration of escape charges.

The Office of Correctional Safety mission is to protect the public and serve CDCR investigative and security interests. OCS is the primary departmental link with allied law enforcement agencies and the Governor’s Office of Emergency Services.

Since 1977, 99 percent of all offenders who have left an adult institution, camp or community-based program without permission have been apprehended.